


Little Magenta Lies

by swiftishere



Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Lewis Acts Like A Goddamn Person, Medium!Arthur (Mystery Skulls Animated), Secret Identity, and yknow these guys are pretty fucked up in general, arthur does not, but there's nothing graphic, can you tell i still don't know how to tag stuff, new characters will be tagged as they appear, rated teen and up because a character does die and you do watch it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2020-01-12 20:58:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18454511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swiftishere/pseuds/swiftishere
Summary: The Mystery Skulls Paranormal Investigators are devoted to aiding spirits, and that meanshelping. Not just forcing them to move on. It’s one of their strongest convictions, outranked only by “leave no one behind,” and what they’re most well known for. Both ghosts and those they haunt often seek out them specifically, hoping for a less violent solution to the maybe-not-really-a-problem-at-all of sharing your home with a specter.After his death, Lewis leverages this reputation to return to his friends, albeit in a… slightly different form. As long as he keeps pretending to be an unfamiliar ghost, and nobody figures out who he really is, he can continue to watch over them from beyond the grave.





	1. Advanced Stage Makeup

**Author's Note:**

> tags are so sparse because i. have no fucking idea where this fic is going. i'm kinda just going with the flow here. anyway enjoy this lewis. he thinks he's sneaky but he's mostly just an accidentally good friend. the best kind of lewis. what tense is this fic in? don't worry about it.

 

 

    Lewis sits outside the cave, perched on an overhang above the entrance. The position would be uncomfortable if he could still feel, but he doesn't have to worry about that anymore.

 

    He returns to this place often. It's where he died, but more than that, the memory of his death is clearest here. Sometimes it starts to slip – he could remember the idea of it but not _how_ he died, like his mind is starting to block it out – but when he comes back here, it always comes back to him. Why, he doesn't know. It probably has something to do with this being the location of his reanimation, or something like that. It's not thanks to his remains, because those had been destroyed, burned up when he became a ghost.

 

    Vivi would know – she always seems to know things like that. Hell, her _passion_ is knowing things like that. Ever since he could remember, she's been fascinated by the paranormal, always determined to make studying it her life's work. Of _course_ she'd be a veritable encyclopedia of ghost knowledge – and she'd be pleased to hear him say that, too, that she's built up that much of a reputation for it.

 

   But these days, she seemed practically glued to Arthur's side, never gone for long enough, or far away enough that he could safely approach her without running the risk of being spotted by him. And he can't- he _won't_ \- show himself to Arthur. There's no way of predicting what he might do if he found out Lewis had come back as a ghost. What if he tried to banish him, to finish what he started months ago? He certainly had the tools and the knowhow to get rid of a ghost, and that would be pretty much it for Lewis. There isn't really any coming back from being banished, as far as anyone knows. And if anyone would, Lewis should, having worked alongside Vivi studying ghosts for so long.

 

    No, he can't let Arthur know he's still out here. So he can't return to Vivi, either.

 

    That thought makes his heart ache. Had he died under any other circumstances, the first thing he would do would be to rush back to his friends. Part of him still wants to, more than _anything_. He'd actually _promised_ , forever ago – all of them had – that if one of them died they'd come back and haunt the others. None of them would ever leave the others like that, they'd all agreed.

 

    Of course, that was before one of them had gone and betrayed another, in just about the most final way you could betray someone.

 

    The effect of this cave kicks in. He barely even had to think about it before the scene is playing in his head again, by now so familiar that he could practically recite it. 

 

    Just a moment before, he'd been joking around with Vivi on the radio, goofing about the cliff and how his voice echoed so much that even she could hear it from her tunnel, and how there was so clearly no monster coming at them or it'd be set off by all the shouting –

 

    Then he'd switched off and holstered the radio, turning around, ready to tell Arthur that this place was probably a bust and they should just head out.

 

    He had looked so _scared_ at first. He'd been acting weird the whole time, clearly picking up on something Lewis couldn't feel, but had stubbornly insisted that it was fine and they should keep moving. Except now it wasn't just vague worry – he looked panicked, _desperate_ as he took a shaky step towards Lewis, slowly raising one hand out towards him.

 

    Lewis had taken a breath to ask what was wrong, but he never made it that far.

 

    It had only taken a fraction of a second, yet the transition was so clear in his head as Arthur's face began to shift into a horrible smile. The second step was more determined, and when the outstretched hand reached him it didn't grab his shirt like he was expecting. It just _pushed_. The words in Lewis's throat turned into a scream as he experienced the unpleasant sensation of a sudden, unexpected drop.

 

    That was the last thing he felt.

 

    The image leaves his mind as quickly as it had entered, and though Lewis doesn't need to breathe, he takes a few slow breaths to steady himself. He'd probably let out some kind of yelp at the end there. He usually does, and one of the deadbeats is rubbing against his chest and purring, clearly trying to comfort him. He pets its head absentmindedly, closing his eyes and nodding.

 

    Vivi doesn't know.

 

    That thought cuts through the buzzing in his head, letting him shake off the fog and a startled deadbeat. It had occurred to him before, but it never hit quite as _hard_ as it does now. Vivi is traveling around with a killer, still protecting him as fiercely as she always had, of course she has _no idea_. That was- that's _bad_ , he's sure, what if-

 

    He inhales sharply. _What if Arthur wasn't planning to stop with just Lewis?_

 

    The golden heart starts beating hard and fast, mimicking a real heartbeat, as he stands up and floats down to ground level. Vivi isn't _safe_ , he can't even _begin_ to predict what Arthur might do next, _especially_ not when he doesn't know why he killed him in the first place, and Mystery might still be around but that's small comfort, he trusts Arthur too. Enough that he hadn't done anything to stop the murder. He doesn't know either, does he? He needs to get back to them but there he runs into the same problem he's been having – he can't let Arthur know who he is. He floats down to the road, looking down with his brow furrowed, his thoughts still swirling in a confusing jumble in his head.

 

    And that's when he catches sight of his reflection. It's only for a brief moment, as he drifts over a puddle, but it's enough to make him stop and move back to take a closer look.

 

    His clothes are like nothing he'd worn in life, a crisp black suit decorated with somewhat macabre ribs and gloves that, though you can't really tell under the sleeves of his coat, stretch up to his elbows. He had always favored lighter tones in life, and he especially disliked wearing gloves. His skull doesn't look anything like his human face, especially without his hair lit. Even his voice has changed, always echoing regardless of where he was. In short, he is unrecognizable as Lewis Pepper.

 

    The smiley deadbeat makes a curious chirp as he runs a hand over his skull and adjusts his tie.

 

    "I've got an idea," he says to the his three little followers.

 

    He misses the worried look on the sad one's face as he turns and strides confidently in the direction of Tempo.

 

* * *

 

    Mystery can hear Arthur and Vivi chatting away – the walls of the van aren't exactly soundproofed. He probably shouldn't be listening, but he can't help himself. If he has to wait outside the van "on watch" for the night so that Arthur can actually sleep – and that's fair, he'd decided to do that, he didn't want to keep Arthur up and waiting in terror – he at least wanted to hear what they were saying.

 

    That _was_ what happened when Mystery slept in the van. He and Vivi hadn't found out until a couple days after they'd set out on their first mission since the "accident." They'd both noticed that Arthur had looked more and more tired as time went on, until Vivi finally pressured him into admitting that he hadn't actually slept since they left, because having Mystery in the same room practically set his nerves on fire and there was _no way_ he could sleep when just closing his eyes made him sure he was being rushed at and any second he'd be killed. Instead of resting and recovering energy like he was supposed to be, he'd been spending the night overwhelmed with fear and adrenaline, the only thing keeping him from just throwing open the van's back door and _running away_ was the inability to turn his back on Mystery for even a second. And as much as he insisted that it was fine and he just needed to get over himself (those words made Mystery sick. _Get over himself_. Like it was some minor inconvenience that he could just _power through_ ,) Mystery had still elected to start sleeping outside. He'd claimed it was to keep watch, but that was a pretty flimsy excuse and nobody really bought it. At least Arthur doesn't seem to be wobbling on his feet and struggling to stand anymore.

 

    He has half a mind to bang on the side of the van and tell them both to get to bed, it's late and they shouldn't be up chatting, there's a lot to do tomorrow. He doesn't exactly have hands to knock with, though. So he just shuts his mouth and listens to them goofing off.

 

    "Okay, if you... were... a mummy," says Vivi, speaking slowly like she was formulating the question as she spoke, "what... would you want your gimmick to be?"

 

    Arthur giggles at that. "Oh shit, okay, uh... I'd want to be a mummy that's really obviously actually just a drone with a bunch of coat hangers on it, but if anyone points it out I... stop talking to them."

 

    They both laugh at that for a while, and Mystery does too. That was a _very_ Arthur answer.

 

    "Okay, what about you?" he shoots back. Vivi probably already had an answer ready to go, but Mystery doesn't hear it – his attention is suddenly pulled elsewhere.

 

    There is spectral energy emanating from somewhere in the woods, slowly getting closer (or maybe just stronger? It's kind of hard to tell) and knowing the kinds of spirits his group tends to attract, it's probably not any welcome committee. He rolls up onto his feet, and has to remind himself to stop crouching with his hackles raised. That's a monster's position. Instead, he forces himself to stand up tall and steels his face into a calm, confident expression, instead of his default snarl.

 

    It gets harder to maintain as the source of the energy draws near. His facade will probably break the second the spirit makes any sort of attack, but this is good practice. He needs to get better at appearing less like he's planning on eating whatever he's looking at.

 

    The specter pauses just inside the tree line, and just out of Mystery's view. He elects to stay put instead of going to investigate, just in case it's a trap to lure him away and leave the van undefended.

 

    On the other side of the shadows, Lewis stops his advance to consider his approach. If he doesn't want to get marked as a threat and attacked, he needs to appear less like a poltergeist and more like a lost soul. He lowers his floating height and adjusts his posture, dismissing the deadbeats so they don't clue the group in to his actual power.

 

    Once he's confident he looks unassuming enough, he steps fully out onto the side of the road where the van is parked. He's not really expecting to see Mystery standing alone, much less poised like he's trying to stand to attention for his captain.

 

   When their eyes meet, Mystery’s ears flick forward and he takes a step back. Lewis floats back a little too, suddenly forgetting any script he had prepared. The two study each other for a moment, and when Mystery’s head cocks to the side, Lewis worries he’s close to being recognized. So he starts talking before he can look any closer.

 

   “You guys are paranormal investigators, right?” Lewis starts, taking a small step forward. “But not- you don’t fight ghosts. Right?”

 

   Mystery narrows his eyes, still trying to get a read on the ghost. “...yeah?”

 

   “I, uh,” Lewis says, suddenly unsure of this plan, but not wanting to back down, “I need your help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stole that mummy question from somewhere. i think it was mbmbam but honestly i don't remember, i know one of the answers was "mummy that was supposed to come out in the 80s but overshot it and is very upset about it"


	2. The Web

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lewis lies some more, and manages to worm his way back into cooking. Vivi gives some cryptic advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> good news! i've still got a chapter saved, and i think i'm gonna try and update this every saturday. [EDIT: switching to sunday updates because saturdays are about to get super busy for me]

 

 

    Lewis has a lot of questions, none of which he can ask without arousing suspicion. The longer he watches the group, the more he has.

 

    The first thing he notices is that one of Arthur's arms is metal now. He knew that before, but still has no idea why. The deadbeats he's occasionally sent to check up on the group don't know either, reporting that it's been like that for as long as they've been watching. It worries him a little, if he's being honest, that he can't figure out when or how that happened.

 

    And Mystery wouldn't even follow him in, just resumed his position on watch. That's surprising in part because this seems like an everyone conversation, and in part because he's a potentially dangerous ghost who was just... let into the van without supervision. Usually he's a little more cautious than that.

 

    Another change, one he really hadn't noticed until he got close to the group, was how _frayed_ Vivi looks. Everyone looks a little more tired and stressed, but it's especially noticeable with Vivi, who's usually chipper and full of energy. She's still got a _spark_ of sorts, but it's one of nerves now, not excitement. Her eyes keep darting about, monitoring and cataloging everything, unable to stay focused on the actual ghost standing in front of her. She just looks _tired_ and _nervous_ and _small_ and it's so _wrong_ and Lewis so desperately wants to help, to understand why- but he can't. He has to stay in character.

 

     "And... you need _our_ help, specifically?" says Arthur, drawing Lewis's attention back to him. He's been uncharacteristically talkative. Before, he mostly just stood in the background and watched while Vivi talked to spirits.

 

    "Yes," replies Lewis, remembering that he's supposed to be talking, "I- you're the only ones who don't... y'know, focus on banishing everything in sight."

 

    His plan is working out well so far. None of them had called him out yet. The lie, which he really probably should've prepared beforehand, is turning out to be that he's a lost soul with a lot of missing memory, including that of his own death, and thus had no idea why he reanimated. He isn't looking for help finding answers, just a safe place to stay while he gets his thoughts in order. As he expected, his former family is still ready and willing to help him.

 

    "Then... if you're sure," Vivi says, looking up from the notebook she's been writing in, "yeah, you can stay with us. As long as you know that we _do_ sometimes have to fight stuff."

 

    "I'm happy to help you with that," he says, maybe a little too eagerly. Nobody seems to pay it any mind, as far as he can tell.

 

    Arthur and Vivi exchange a look, then Arthur turns back to him and holds out a hand. "W- welcome aboard, then."

 

    Lewis reaches out to him, and...

 

    ...he can't quite bring himself to take it. There's something _unnerving_ about the idea of shaking Arthur's hand, for some reason. 

 

    There's a beat before Lewis realizes they're just standing with their hands a couple inches apart. He quickly withdraws his and folds his arms, trying to look nonchalant. Arthur gives him a quizzical look, but thankfully nobody presses him on it.

 

     He comes out of his thoughts just in time to hear Vivi say, "by the way, we're working a case right now, so you'll have to tag along with us on that tomorrow. You okay with that?"

 

    "Hm? Oh, yeah, that's fine." _That's normal_ , he thinks to himself.

 

    Vivi nods. She suddenly looks half-asleep, now that she's not busy cataloging their conversation. "Right, cool," she says, mumbling a little, "so you can- I dunno, I guess stay outside? Because-"

 

    Lewis resists laughing. "You gotta go to sleep," he says, feeling an urge to playfully push her over and wrap her up in a blanket. She just hums and nods in agreement.

 

    He leaves to wait outside the van without further conversation, closing the van door behind him. Somewhat absently, he notes that Mystery's still vigilantly watching outside. This must be a pretty dangerous case, if he needs to keep watch overnight. At least he was here, so they could trade off. Mystery still needs his sleep, after all.

 

* * *

 

    Night comes and goes quickly enough – Lewis is used to waiting long periods of time alone – and soon everyone else is awake again. Without any discussion needed, Vivi sets up the camp stove and makes coffee. It isn't until she starts pouring out two cups – one for her, and one for Arthur – that Lewis realizes she's not planning on making any breakfast to go with it.

 

    "Hey," he says, tone starting out scolding. He quickly adjusts it, though, "uh, food?"

 

    Vivi squints at him over the steam from her cup. "Uh, we do have it."

 

    "No, I mean, are you..." Lewis is beginning to think that bringing this up was a mistake, too suspicious, "aren't you going to make some?"

 

    She stares at him, clearly just confused. "Are you _asking me to make you breakfast_?"

 

    "No! I just-" _shit, quick, think of a good reason to want to make sure they eat_ \- "-uh, will you, would you... mind if I... made something?" _Shit. Fuck. That's a terrible excuse._ "I, uh, remember doing this for..." _getting better,_ "...someone. I don't- just, I'd like to try cooking again?"

 

    "Oh." Vivi blinks, then slowly nods. "Sure, I guess. There's a cooler in the back of the van, there's probably some breakfast stuff in there."

 

    Arthur, who's sitting on the bumper, doesn't even look up as he hops up into the trunk, busily typing away at his computer. He knows where the cooler is without having to ask – they still keep it in the exact same place they always have. When he opens it, though, the vague worried feeling nagging at him gets a little stronger. There's almost _nothing_ in here, and most of what there is is hot dogs and mustard. He _had_ usually been the one keeping them stocked up on food, but he'd kinda figured someone else would pick that up after...

 

    He shakes his head, abandoning that train of thought. There'll be plenty of time to figure out what these guys have been up to – but _later_. There's no point in jumping to conclusions now. So he just grabs a package of bacon – almost automatically he checks their expiration dates, and is relieved to find that at least they're still following First In-First Out – and closes the lid again.

 

    Nobody attempts to make conversation as he's cooking, which is a bit of a relief. When he starts thinking again about how shoddy his excuse about wanting to cook was, though, he kind of wishes someone would talk, just to distract him. But then again, they'd probably just open up a new avenue for him to embarrass himself with. Damn.

 

   Vivi comes and gets her plate when it's done, grabbing a bagel and a refill on her coffee as well. Lewis sets a paper plate down for Mystery, who drags it away in his teeth to eat next to Vivi. But even after Lewis calls several times, Arthur doesn't move from where he's sitting and typing. In fact, he doesn't show any sign of hearing Lewis at all. So he sighs, sets the plate down next to him, and waves a hand in front of his face, making him blink and look up. He waves back, looking a little confused.

 

    Lewis gestures to the plate. "Uh, I made some breakfast." He notes, with more than a little surprise, that he doesn't appear to have touched his coffee either. Arthur follows his hand to the plate, and stares for a moment before nodding.

 

    "Oh, uh, thanks." He goes back to typing almost immediately.

 

    Yeah, figures he'd be less engaged now, seeing as he's already offed one of them and has an excuse for – nope, bad line of thought. Maybe he's just really interested in whatever he's working on. Which reminds him- "what are you writing?"

 

    He doesn't get more than a "hmm" of acknowledgement. Yeah, okay, he's just really zoned in. Well, he tried. He shrugs, mostly to himself, and floats back over to Vivi. She's looking at him, and he realizes that she probably watched all of that exchange happen. Shoot, now he's even more embarrassed.

 

    She seems to be sorting through one of her many folders, probably getting her information about this case organized while Mystery gobbles up his plate of bacon beside her. There are piles of papers strewn all about her, weighed down with some pretty-looking rocks she's collected over the years, and one by Mystery's leg. Lewis floats cross-legged in the air next to her, watching her work.

 

    "You, uh, you probably shouldn't expect too much from Arthur, in the way of conversation," she says without pausing her sorting.

 

    "No?" he says. _Right_ , he's a stranger.

 

    "Yeah, he's usually pretty, um. Distracted. So just, y'know, try not to... force him to talk to you or anything."

 

    _Why_? he wants to ask. _What will he do? Does he get angrier now_? Vivi still seems a little edgy, and he wonders if it might be because Arthur's behavior has changed and he'll actually hurt people who get in the way of what he's doing. Maybe Vivi had to find that out the hard way. Maybe that's why everyone seems so much more nervous. That doesn't sound like Arthur, but what does he know for sure about that guy anymore?

 

    In the end, he settles on just saying, "I'll keep that in mind, then."

 

    Vivi nods, and he sees her shoulders relax. He floats down to sit next to her. "So this is... for what we- you're working on now, right?"

 

    "Yep!" she says, and he hears some of her old excitement come back into her voice. "We're investigating some rumors of forest spirit activity – will o' wisp sightings, odd structures found during hikes, that kind of thing. This is a pretty popular area for hikers, so the local wildlife department wants to get this sorted out before anything serious happens." She holds up a couple pictures of weird, dome-shaped structures made of twigs, and one of a fairy ring, which she taps with one finger. "These were all grabbed by people out for walks. When the guy who took this photo went back out with a ranger, the ring was gone! They scoured the whole area, but couldn't find a trace of it!"

 

    Only Vivi would get this excited about a fairy ring appearing and then vanishing. He's almost glad he doesn't have a face, so she can't see the fond smile that would be spreading across it.

 

    Mystery looks up, still licking his chops. "I think he wants to know what the plan is," he says.

 

    "Well, we're," Vivi starts to explain, and then she... stops talking.

 

    He leans over to look her in the eye. "Everything okay?"

 

    "I- okay. So, yeah, this isn't going to sound the most professional, but it- it _works_ , okay? So just- keep that in mind, and- so, I've never actually had to explain our... process before. It might sound a little... yeah, okay, we kind of just walk into wherever the spooky stuff is happening and... wait."

 

    Actually, that _does_ sound kind of silly when it's said out loud. He's never really thought about it before, it's just... how they do things. In their defense, one of them _is_ a medium, which makes 'let the spook come to us' a much more viable plan.

 

    "Oh, I can do that," he says after a pause.


	3. Over the River

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lewis gets nervous, gets named, and gets to meet a whole forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yknow i just thought about it and i don't think i ever named the group's investigator group before, so for future reference- MSPI stands for Mystery Skulls Paranormal Investigators.

    Even to Lewis, who's never been much of an outdoorsman, the forest feels unnaturally still and quiet. Birdsong is sparse, there's no animals rustling the bushes, even the trees are unswayed by wind. He's increasingly wary as he watches and listens, unconsciously tense and ready to run or fight, because his gut senses something _wrong_. Like the calm before the storm, this place is holding its breath for something. Thanks to his new ghostly power, he can _feel_ the supernatural tension in the air.

 

    Vivi is as oblivious to her companions' nervousness as always, traipsing through the dead leaves and undergrowth without a care. "Ranger we talked to said the ring was supposed to be out this way," she calls over her shoulder, still sounding as bright and excited as she had back at the van. Reassured by her upbeat attitude, Lewis drifts along a little faster, easily keeping pace with her when he doesn't have to struggle his way through bushes and vines.

 

    Mystery trots along at Vivi's side, sticking closer to her than usual. He can't help but glance back over his shoulder every so often, watching their new companion with suspicion. He hasn't even given them a name yet, so Mystery is going to keep one eye on him for the time being. _Especially_ when he's walking – well, _floating_ – right next to Arthur.

 

   While Arthur is feeling the weird atmosphere just as much as Lewis, he's distracted by something else, scrolling through something on his phone and silently mouthing something. He's trying to keep the name of this park in his head, but keeps losing it and having to look it up again. The only way it sticks is if he keeps reciting it to himself, so he does. It takes up most of his awareness, though – enough that he doesn't notice when the ground under the group's feet becomes marked with the roots of trees.

 

    When he inevitably trips over one, Lewis catches him out of reflex, snagging his dropped phone out of midair with the other hand. It takes him a moment to realize what he's done, after which he quickly lifts him up and sets him back on his feet, handing him back the phone. 

 

    Arthur stumbles a little when he's dropped back down, but recovers quickly. "Shit, thanks, uh-" He frowns, looking up at the ghost. "Hey, y-you got a name?"

 

    Oh, crap. "...Y- ...can I think about it for a second?"

 

    Arthur gives a skeptical nod, and everyone falls silent for a moment, letting the ghost puzzle it over. 

 

    Lewis is internally panicking, wishing he'd thought about this sooner, or while not under pressure. He'd always been terrible at naming things, and the implied time limit here doesn't help. 

 

    He must have been silent for too long, because Arthur gives him another sideways look. "You don't remember, do you?"

 

    Lewis racks his brain for a moment more, then gives up. "No. ...I know _that_ I have one, but not any more than that."

 

    Hearing that, Vivi turns around so she's walking backwards and looking at them, ignoring the annoyed look Arthur shoots her as she does so. "Maybe we can help!"

 

    "I, uh, don't... really think you can _make_ me remember-"

 

    "Oh, that's not what I meant. We'll just give you a new one," she says, smiling confidently at him. 

 

    He knows better to be surprised at her forwardness. If anyone was going to give him a new ghost name, he'd honestly prefer it to be Vivi. "...alright, what are you thinking?"

 

    She considers him for a moment, tilting her head back and forth. "Well, hm. How do you feel about... Dracula?"

 

    "No," says Arthur, sticking up for Lewis while he's still reeling from that proposal. "That's dumb, just cause he's undead and wearing f-fancy clothes?"

 

    "You have zero place to be talking about silly names, _Arthur Kingsmen_ ," Vivi fires back. Oh, this is a familiar conversation, Vivi and Arthur gently ribbing each other about their names (Vivi's complaint was that Arthur's sounded like it was ripped from a trashy modern fantasy novel, while Arthur said that hers lacked imagination). 

 

    They're still technically trying to name Lewis, though, so they drop the subject quickly. Everyone's stopped walking at this point, all standing in a lopsided diamond instead. Mystery stays quiet while the other two trade ideas, some joking and some not. He's always been annoyed at how lightly the rest of the team treats names, Lewis should have guessed he'd refuse to participate. 

 

    "Mm... maybe some kind of ghost type?" Vivi says, squinting at him. "Dullahan? His head's detached enough. Oh, but no horse..."

 

    "I don't know that 'ghost' needs to be his defining trait, necessarily," says Arthur. "Maybe we can find some other attribute?"

 

    "Well, we don't know anything about him besides he's a ghost and – oh, wait, sure. How about Pink? Like, for his hair and stuff."

 

    Arthur frowns at her. "Uh, that's clearly purple?"

 

    "It's _magenta_ ," Lewis interjects, offended.

 

    They blink at him in tandem, and then Vivi nods. "Yeah, okay, I see it."

 

    "So, Magenta?" asks Arthur, hopeful, but Vivi shakes her head.

 

    "Too obvious. No, it should be-"

 

    "Hey, don't I get a say in this?" Lewis cuts in.

 

    Vivi raises her eyebrows at him. "Do you _want_ your name to be Magenta?"

 

    "...no," he admits after considering it for a moment. Then he gets an idea. "Wait- wait. How about Jolokia?" That should be pretty easy for him to remember, and it fits.

 

    Vivi and Arthur exchange a look, both with expressions Lewis can't place, and then Arthur shrugs. "...alright, if you say so."

 

\---

 

    Lewis is still quietly stressing about his choice of name ( _too obvious, what was I thinking, I should have just gone with Purple or whatever_ ) as they continue on their hike through the woods. Nobody else seems troubled by it – Mystery keeps glancing back at him, but he's been doing that this whole time. It's probably just because he's Mystery and suspicious.

 

    Arthur's put his phone down. He's now mostly focusing on trying not to trip again. As they progress further into the forest, the ground becomes more uneven and the trees larger, their roots growing proportionally. Vivi hops from one to the other like a goat, too restless and excited to walk normally. It's too hot for Arthur to share her energy, even with the sun being filtered out by the canopy. Plus, there's an air of foreboding here, and it's only getting stronger the further in they walk. The feeling is familiar – it's one he gets on most jobs – but that doesn't make it any less unnerving.

 

    Nobody notices the thin gold fibers strung through the trees, all too preoccupied with their own thoughts. They gradually become more common, though, until a web of them blocks the group's path. Right behind the web is a clearing, golden with late-afternoon sunlight. A forest guardian stands in the clearing, appearing to be rigging up some kind of a net made of the gold thread, aided by several small humanoids made of leaves and branches. That's when the group notices how the same fibers are strung around almost everywhere here. Lewis sees Mystery unconsciously tense, but he's not sure whether it's because of the nets or the spirit. 

 

    After a brief moment of hesitation, Vivi steps forward, inhaling to say something, but Arthur stops her before she can take more than a step. She looks at him in confusion, and he waves a hand all around them. " _There's nets everywhere,_ " he whispers. " _Right in f-front of us._ "

 

    Lewis blinks. Can Vivi not see them? They're not a magic thing, because he can see them and he's just a normal...

 

    Oh, right. Ghost. He can see supernatural stuff now. "Should we... try and slip under them?" he suggests.

 

    Mystery steps up to investigate the web closer, sniffing at one low-hanging thread. "I don't think we can do that without touching the threads and being noticed, and then we'll be marked as a threat."

 

    "Maybe Jolokia could float over them?" Vivi suggests. 

 

    It takes Lewis a minute to remember she's talking about him. "Oh! Ah, yes, that... I could do that."

 

    The web stretches up farther than expected, almost to the top of the trees, but it's not yet been strung over the upper branches. He lets his feet graze the top leaves as he drifts over them. Maybe there are some perks to being a ghost after all.

 

    He lowers himself down back to the ground, careful not to just drop – he may not be able to get motion sick anymore, but sudden falls are still _really unpleasant_ in a different way.

 

    He 'lands' a couple inches above the grass, and looks back and gives a small wave to the group. So far so good. 

 

    The forest guardian must have heard him somehow, because they turn around, passing the web off to one of their leafy servants. There must be something serious going on here, because forest guardians rarely take a physical form. This one resembles an oak tree. The verdant saplings decorating their shoulders mimic the leafy canopy above, swaying gently as they tilt their head to one side. "Where did you come from?" they ask, the lack of a visible mouth not preventing them from talking in the slightest.

 

    Lewis points at the sky without thinking.

 

    The spirit's eyes narrow and they step forward, making Lewis take a step back. "Do not lie to me, ghost. I know-" they stop and their head swivels up and to the left, gazing into the semidarkness of the woods behind Lewis. _Looking at the rest of the MSPI_ , he realizes. "-you're with _them_. Outsiders, bringing more _rot_ into my forest."

 

    He blinks at that. "Rot? I haven't..." _compliment them, we don't want them to dislike us,_ "this forest looks very... alive to me."

 

    The guardian's head tilts up and back – if they had a nose, they'd be looking down it. "You can't feel it? Yes, I have kept it at bay, but darkness claws at my edges. My preliminary defenses are weakening." They gesture to the webs. "We recede now further back, to protect the heart from the rot assaulting us."

 

    "Fucking cryptic forest guardians," mutters Mystery from their hiding place. Vivi glares and kicks in his general direction, shushing him.

 

    Lewis feels a pang of sympathy for the guardian. Being under attack and your only option is to retreat and hope it's enough... that must be awful. "I'm sorry... isn't there something we can do to help?"

 

    The guardian just blinks at him for a few moments, then looks back to the rest of the MSPI. "You... want to help. _All_ of you?"

 

    "Yeah!" yells Vivi from the shadows. "We're good at it, too!"

 

    They seem to consider something for a little while, then slowly nod. "...I will not allow you any deeper into the forest," they say finally. "But if you are willing... we could use help shoring up the perimeter. There are things belowground that my webs cannot stop."

 

    Lewis can only barely see Vivi nodding empathetically. "That... sounds great. Just show us where you need us."

 

    Still seeming uncertain of something, the guardian nods and waves a hand, and at the motion some of the strings part to let Lewis through so he can rejoin the rest of the MSPI. One of the leafy servants trots after him, and continues walking, waving one arm-shaped stick. They all look at each other, shrug, and follow it back out of the woods.


	4. Not Sonar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vivi's being herself, and Arthur's being weird.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall ever think about how lewis literally died? how much of his afterlife is based around that moment? it's gotta fuck the guy up is all i'm saying.

    Vivi taps the ground with one hand, looking through a book she's holding in the other. Her lips are pursed in silent thought. 

 

    Everyone's retreated back to the van to plot their course of action. Arthur's digging around in the back for... something that detects spirits, and Lewis is keeping an eye on him while Mystery watches the edge of the camp. Vivi's trying to diagnose the exact problem, flipping through her notes and looking for mentions of something causing decay and targeting forests, folding the corners of certain entries that seem promising. The leafy servant that had accompanied them since their meeting with the forest guardian is sitting next to her. The way it peers over her arm to see what she's looking at reminds Lewis of a deadbeat. It must be a similar mechanic behind them both, he reasons. It's almost as adorable, too, hanging off Vivi's arm like that. The little pinpricks of light that it has for eyes follow her hands closely as she turns the page.

 

    Arthur finds what he's looking for before Vivi does, and there's a series of loud metallic _clunk_ sas he drags something that looks like a small satellite array out of the backseat. He turns his head and shouts, "Vivi, I got it!" and she rises to help him before he can trip off the back of the van and break it. 

 

    "Thanks," he says through gritted teeth, having to maneuver around awkwardly so he can step down to the ground. She walks them out to the tree line, while Lewis spots them to make sure neither of them hits anything. 

 

    As she's setting it up, she launches into a rambly explanation of how the device is supposed to work. It's not directed at anyone in particular, which is just as well because Lewis is pretty sure that absolutely nobody here understands it.

 

    Vivi, reaching the end of her talk, pulls up a small screen that looks sort of like a sonar display... and then frowns.

 

    "Is something wrong?" Lewis asks, vaguely worried they're going to need to stop their work and fix the machine again. Instead of explaining, Vivi swivels the screen around to face him, and he notes that one side of it is almost entirely filled with neon green light. That... probably isn't supposed to happen? He doesn't remember the display looking like that, at least.

 

    "It isn't broken, is it?"

 

    Vivi shakes her head. "The forest guardian's tripping the sensor. Its magic is blanketing the whole area, and it's gonna render this thing totally useless unless we filter it out, and we'll need a magic sample to do that. So... c'mere, Leafs!"

 

    Mystery looks up at her. "Did you mean _leaves_?" he asks.

 

    "No, Leafs," she says, more insistently this time.

 

    The leafy servant seems to somehow understand that she's talking about it, and trots obediently over. Vivi picks it up and holds it closer to the smallest dish, hitting a button with the free hand. Lewis gets to watch in real-time as the green line swings around the display again and the solid green area vanishes. Now there's just a string of blips of light along where the edge of it was. 

 

    "I guess those are the nasties?" asks Arthur, also looking at the display.

 

    "Well, one of them's Jolokia, but other than that, yeah. Hang on, I can get a more advanced reading off this thing, see what we're actually dealing with." She grabs a cord and pulls out her phone.

 

    As soon as she switches the phone on, the cheerful expression on her face vanishes. She opens her mouth slightly, as if to say something, but doesn't. The sudden silence hangs in the air for a moment before she speaks, sounding quieter and... upset, maybe. "...we're out of cell range."

 

    Lewis really doesn't know what to say to that. However, it seems to mean something to Arthur, who quickly comes to her side. "Not by much," he says, putting his hand over hers – Lewis sees how he gently shoves her phone down and away from view, hitting the lock button, but she doesn't seem to notice. "S'not like we're going into the woods again, right? 'Least, not too far. And the rangers know we're out here-"

 

    "That didn't _help_ -" Vivi starts to snap, then she blinks a couple times and winces, and Lewis gets the sense that she had changed her mind about what she was going to say. "- _doesn't_ help missing hikers."

 

    If Arthur knows what she had refrained from saying, he doesn't show it, giving her a weak but reassuring smile. "It's f-fine, we're really w-well protected. Thanks to you."

 

    She perks back up at that, and glances over at the van before nodding. "...right. Yeah. Okay."

 

    "S-so get back to work!" Arthur tells her, giving her a playful shove towards the machine. She swats at his hand, smiling once more, and turns back to the display.

 

    Lewis is well aware that this might take a while. He leans back against the van, hovering slightly, and after a moment Arthur comes to sit next to him. The two stand in silence for a moment, both sneaking glances at each other out of the corner of their eyes. It starts to get kind of uncomfortable, so Lewis decides to break the silence.

 

    "What was the deal with Vivi's phone, anyway? I didn't..." he asks, too curious to resist, "...think she was that attached to it."

 

    Arthur laughs, but doesn't meet his eyes. "She's not, just- y-yeah, it's- well, she's just worried about... s- _some_ thing happening and- and she won't be able to get help."

 

    "What's the something?" Curiouser and curiouser.

 

    He finally looks back at him, wincing slightly. "Y'know. S' dangerous out in the w-wilderness, right? S-s-someone could get... h-hurt, or..." he blinks and shakes his head, eyes darting away again and fingers tapping nervously at his metal arm, "...other things."

 

    _Killed_ , Lewis finishes the sentence. He feels a pang of regret, though he knows it's not his fault, that Vivi's now afraid to be out in the wilds. It used to be her favorite thing, half a love of the outdoors and exercise, and half an excuse to disconnect and not be obligated to talk to anyone for a while. Now, that carefree happiness has apparently been taken from her. He thinks of her behavior, so unfamiliar to him now, and remembers another question he has.

 

    "Do you know what she was about to say before... before she brought up the missing people? It kinda felt like... she was going to say something else."

 

    Arthur inhales deeply, looking back over at Vivi, but before he can explain anything she stands up, clapping.

 

    "Wraith!" she shouts, excited with her discovery. "Wraith! We've got a wraith!"

 

* * *

 

    Lewis isn't sure they should feel as excited about the wraith as Vivi seems to be. They're serious business, equal to shades in abilities and aggression. Unlike shades, though, wraiths can go wherever they want. That makes them a _lot_ more dangerous – once you've got its attention, it's very tough to shake one. They've had to banish many a clingy wraith, and they're almost impossible to get rid of once they've got a hold of something. Holy water and salt only go so far. 

 

    Vivi seems confident that this won't be too hard, though. She's gathered up some supplies from her shelves of magic ingredients and has gathered everyone outside to debrief them on the plan. 

 

    "The wraith's coming from belowground, probably looking to destroy this forest for food," explains Vivi. She holds up a container of salt and a bottle of what Lewis is _sure_ is holy water, and shakes them both, saying, "but _this_ and _this_ will leach it out of the ground so we can properly banish it. We're gonna have to be careful not to damage the plants with the salt, but the water should be strong enough life magic to negate it." Leafs, standing next to her, waves its arms at the bottle, trying to grab it. It must sense the magic in it.

 

    Vivi pulls out a notebook and sketches out the pattern on the display in green, then with a blue pencil draws several circles and lines across all of them. "The wraith's pretty well concentrated in this general area, so it shouldn't be too hard to cover all of it. We can dig shallow furrows and holes, then fill them with salt, then water. Easy, right?"

 

    Digging a who-knows-how-long mini-ditch and then filling it all with salt doesn't sound particularly easy, especially when Lewis can only hold things with a lot of effort, but he nods anyway.

 

    "Don't worry, you'll just be watching for the wraith," says Arthur, glancing over at him. 

 

    They all get to work, falling into the familiar routine – Vivi digs with her fingers, Mystery with his paws, and Arthur finds a trowel in the back of the van. Leafs seems to almost be imitating them, poking at the upturned earth beside them. Lewis feels more than a little useless just standing and watching for... honestly, he doesn't even know what activity from the wraith would look like. He's never seen one before – they're invisible to normal people until they choose to reveal themselves – so he just watches for anything that looks out of the ordinary. 

 

    Eventually the last hole is dug, and then Vivi starts sprinkling them all with salt. This is where the wraith is most likely to manifest early, so Lewis and Mystery are both keeping a close eye on her as she works. About halfway through the salt runs out, and she gives the cylinder a couple more shakes to no avail. She sighs and puts it aside. 

 

    "Hey, Arthur, can you pass me the other thing of salt?" she calls, holding up one hand. She waits a couple moments with no response. Finally she looks up, frowning, and says again, "Arthur?"

 

    Everyone, including Leafs, looks around in unison, and Lewis suddenly realizes that Arthur has at some point just... _vanished_. There's no sign of him in the clearing. He's expecting Vivi to be worried, scared even, but she seems pretty unfazed, reacting with only a frown. Mystery, on the other hand, isn't so accepting.

 

    "Jolokia, go- _would you mind_ tracking him down?" He sounds snappy, a pretty good indication he's worried. "He won't have gone far."

 

    Vivi objects to this. "Arthur can handle himself, it's not like-"

 

    " _I want Jolokia to go look for him_ ," Mystery says, steel in his voice, and Vivi scowls at him but doesn't protest further.

 

    Lewis shudders internally at the idea of going off alone with Arthur. "Can't you do it?" He already has an excuse lined up – a wraith is serious business, he should be here just in case something goes wrong – but Mystery isn't interested in debating.

 

    His ears twitch. "No," he almost growls, in a tone that kills any further conversation. 

 

    The ghost and dog consider each other for a moment – Mystery with his commanding glare over his half-moon glasses, and Lewis with a searching, almost confused look in his eyes. Vivi leans back on her hands, now more interested in watching this standoff than finishing her work. Most ghosts back down the second Mystery gives them _that look_. Maybe Jolokia's got more spine than she initially gave him credit for.

 

    Lewis has had many a stare-off with Mystery before – it's kind of one of the side effects of knowing him. Eventually, if you hang around him long enough, you're going to have a disagreement with Mystery, and apparently he only knows how to resolve arguments by staring people down until they back off. By virtue of being the one most often quarreling with him about safety during jobs, Lewis has gotten pretty good at withstanding his death glare. 

 

    This time, though, something is... different. There's something behind Mystery's eyes – or something _all around him_  – that ticks at Lewis's spectral body, setting off an alarm bell he didn't know existed. It feels almost like being around a deadbeat, the faint static shock of energy mingling, but at the same time it's  _different_. _Worse_. He always knew Mystery wasn't exactly a normal dog (the talking was a pretty big clue) but he never realized exactly how... _wrong_ he was, not until he was forced to stand eye-to-eye and _stare_ at him. He can almost see, if he lets his eyes stray, a barely-visible red... _outline_ around the dog, suggesting the shape of something _much_ bigger than him. He has no idea what it means, but some new instinct in him is yelling _danger_. 

 

    He decides that acquiescing will be less unpleasant than continuing to stare at him. "I... yeah, sure. Where... uh, do you know where he might have gone?"

 

    As soon as he asks, Vivi points deeper into the forest. Oh, fantastic.

 

* * *

 

    He's no tracker, but it doesn't take much to find Arthur's trail. He has indeed pushed off into a deeper part of the woods, apparently without a second thought about breaking branches and trampling bushes. Lewis can quickly follow behind in the openings he's made, and before too long he's caught up to him. Arthur is... what _is_ Arthur doing?

 

    He's got his phone out, and is doing that quiet muttering thing again. Lewis floats a little closer, trying to hear what he's saying, but something must have alerted Arthur to his presence. He whips around, stumbles back, and trips, hitting the ground hard. Lewis drifts back as well, startled by the movement.

 

    "Woah, h-holy fuck, give a guy a little w-warning!" Arthur says, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. 

 

    "What are you doing?" Lewis asks instead of apologizing. "Why did you wander off?"

 

    "I didn't _wander off_ ," snaps Arthur, glaring at him. The effect is kind of lost when he's still half-lying on the ground. "I'm... uh. I- I'm just looking around. S-s-so... I can do that, it's just the w-woods, an' it's sh-shielded and shit." He looks around, a quick, twitching motion. "R-right? Right."

 

    Lewis's eyes narrow. Arthur's being really cagey now – he's definitely up to something he shouldn't be. "What are you looking for, exactly?"

 

    Arthur's scowl grows deeper. "That's none of your business, _total stranger_. Just- if you're not gonna leave me alone, let's get the fuck back to camp. I'm not just standing around in the woods." He leans back and reaches out one hand to Lewis, still looking annoyed –

 

    -and the motion is familiar – _too_ familiar. 

 

    Lewis locks up, and practically flies backwards down the path. The shadows cast by the forest canopy start to turn oppressive, and the whole world feels greyed out somehow, like it's slowly being drained of color. He desperately wishes he could feel the ground because right now, because the only thing he feels is vertigo, a visceral memory of his own death. He can _hear_ the beating of his anchor, can _feel_ it in every spectral bone. “ _Don’t_ -“ is all he can manage to say, holding his arms up to ward off the attacker-

 

    And then, as quickly as panic had seized him, it starts to disappear again, and he was left with one very confused observer in the present. He blinks a couple times and shakes his head, shaking off the residual tension with it. Or trying to, anyway.

 

    "Are you okay?" asks Arthur, now looking worried, setting his hand back down. 

 

    "Sor-" he starts to say, voice breaking midway through. He clears his nonexistent throat and tries again. "Sorry, I don't... I'm... not sure what... what that was about."

 

    Before he can try and cover by going over to help Arthur up, he stands on his own, thankfully hanging a good distance away. "Are you sure?"

 

    Lewis takes a deep breath, and his hand goes to his locket for a moment. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. Let's just get back to Vivi before she... starts the... exorcism thing."

 

    He makes sure to stay well behind Arthur on the way back.


	5. Business as Usual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Irrational thinking, strange conversations, and secrets on all sides.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about the delay! unfortunately i don't think we're going back to regular updates, either. but i'm not dead! so that's good!

 

    Fortunately, nothing's gone horribly wrong in Lewis's absence. Vivi's salted everything and is taking a short break before she gets out the holy water, taking a drink from a (non-sanctified) water bottle. She starts a little, and then relaxes when Arthur and Lewis re-enter the scene. Mystery, lying by her feet, looks to be napping and doesn't even glance up, although his ears twitch when people start talking.

 

    "How'd the adventure go?" she asks Arthur, voice light.

 

    He crosses his arms and frowns at her. "It didn't."

 

    Vivi huffs at the cold response, but doesn't seem to pay it much mind. "Well, we're ready to get started with the banishing. Mystery says the shade's definitely taken notice of us now, all we've gotta do is throw on the water and it'll be out and mad at us in no time." She smiles, taking another drink. "Nice and predictable, wraiths. You ever seen one before?"

 

    She's looking at Lewis now. "Oh, uh, yes, actually. Once. We had a... dispute." That's a good lie. Enough to establish that he's familiar with the subject, without being so familiar as to sound suspicious.

 

    Vivi nods at that. "Yeah, that sounds about right. I'm surprised you walked away from that one, they're usually pretty resilient."

 

    "...Guess I... got lucky, then," he says, shrugging. "It... it didn't really... put up too much of a fight."

 

    Luckily, Vivi seems to take that at face value, but Lewis can just feel Mystery's eyes boring holes in his skull now. Vivi pushes off the back of the van and sets the water bottle down, saying, "right. Well, I guess you're ready then?"

 

    He and Arthur both nod.  

 

* * *

 

    Vivi holds the water bottle as everyone else stands back, pacing around the ditches and trying to find the best place to start pouring the holy water in. Lewis isn't totally sure what her criteria are, but eventually she finds one and starts to slowly, carefully sprinkle the ground with the water. He feels strange just _seeing_ it, like it glints too bright but at the same time seems so beautiful. He doesn't have too much time to dwell on the weird effects of holy water on ghosts, though, before its intended purpose starts to work.

 

    The wraith is smoke, odorless and soot-colored, swirling out of the ground and into the air. Lewis feels a strange pressure on his chest just seeing it, and has to fight the urge to step back. More of it steams out of the dirt every time Vivi splashes a ditch with water, until it forms a wispy, snake-shaped coiling mass in the air. It has four eyes that seem to glow with darkness like holes in space.

 

    It turns those unnerving eyes on Leafs, and the "tail" begins to uncoil as it rises slightly. Dark strings spin into existence around it, turning in circles around the length of its body, and its surroundings seem to suddenly fall into shadow –

 

   Then Mystery barks. It's a soft, warning sound, but it gets the job done. The wraith's head snaps to him, and then the whole thing rises up and back, recoiling with a hissing noise. That's not surprising – it usually happens with this kind of angry spirit, actually – but this time Lewis sees something else happen when Mystery barks. The thin red outline that surrounds him becomes more solid, and seems to... _crackle_ , like it's suddenly charged with lightning – and as it does so, Lewis feels the pressure of static electricity all over him. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, it's gone, and everything is back to normal again. The wraith curls itself up into a tight little ball in the air, still hissing.

 

    Then Vivi steps forward.

 

    Technically, as a medium, Arthur is the one best suited to banishing things. But every time he does, he opens himself up to being possessed (more than he normally is, anyway) and the group has learned the hard way, several times over, that they're better off avoiding that. So their resident witch usually takes the job instead.

 

    She holds a cross necklace and a worn notebook, which is familiar to Lewis as the first one she kept spells and such in. She doesn't even have to read from it anymore, having memorized her next words to the letter. " _Spirit_ ," she says, voice ringing through the trees, " _you disrupt this mortal world and its inhabitants. You will leave this place now._ "

 

    Exorcisms and banishings are the kind of magic that can be done almost any way you want – as long as you believe what you're saying, almost any ritual will banish a spirit. The one Vivi's using now was handcrafted by her forever ago. It places a bit of an emphasis on _dangerous_ or disruptive spirits, because those are the only ones she's ever needed to banish, and can be a bit stilted at times because she wrote it when she was eleven or so. Having been used for so long, and being so familiar to her, just gives it all the more power.

 

   The wraith starts to feel its effects almost instantly, and rises a little higher, bending so its head faces down at her. She continues without flinching or even blinking, raising the necklace higher to meet it. " _If you do not obey my words, heed my actions. Be gone, or be destroyed._ "

 

    He watches the wraith being burned away as she continues, wisps of smoke evaporating into the air as it shrinks back and grows smaller. Looking back at Vivi, he realizes that he can see the necklace _glowing_. That was new. It looks like a halo encircling her hand, and as she reaches up, it frames her face as well.

 

    Vivi's changed so much in the short time since Lewis died, mostly for the worse. He's realizing that more and more now, how hurt she's been by him disappearing. Running on less, always watching and checking everything, looking for danger ( _not noticing it's right next to her_ ), afraid to even leave cell range for fear of being stuck out in the wilderness when something went wrong. He had always bugged her about being more careful – more _mindful_ , even, of walking right into danger – but this... she shouldn't be _nervous_. That was _his_ job, worrying too much about her recklessness. Now he's gone, and she's had to learn to do it all herself. No wonder she looks so tired.

 

    But now, seeing her working magic with such ease and familiarity, the shadows on her face erased by the light, he's reassured, just a little. It's still the same Vivi, no matter how changed. And if there's one thing his Vivi knows how to do, it's protect herself and her family.

 

    The wraith burns into nonexistence, too stubborn to let go of its hold on the ground. Vivi holds the shimmering necklace higher for a little longer, then puts her arm down with a sigh and turns back to the group. For a moment he thinks she looks tired, but then she gives the group behind her a warm smile, and the perceived exhaustion melts away.

 

    "Guess that was a pretty good first case, huh, Jolokia? Nice and easy."

 

    The corners of Lewis's eyes crinkle in amusement at the reference to this supposedly being his first job, but he just nods. For a moment, he tries to think of a question, but everything he thinks sounds too suspicious to him. The opportunity feels lost when Vivi picks up the empty bottles and other assorted materials and starts moving things back to the van. Arthur visibly relaxes, probably taking that as a sign that the job was officially over, and moves to help her with the big sonar device. Once again, Lewis feels a little useless, unable to help pack up because he phases through everything.

 

    Vivi steps out of the van, pauses, and sighs, looking over at Lewis. "So, we should talk."

 

    Instantly, he's on high alert. "O-oh? About what?"

 

    "That... if you’re actually serious about sticking with the MSPI, we need to... lay out some ground rules." Oh, thank god, that's all.

 

    "...Oh, sure," he says belatedly.

 

    She leans back against the van, and looks him up and down. "First of all, when we're working, you need to listen to us. Ghost hunting can be dangerous, _especially_ for lost souls, and we've been doing this for a while, so if you want to come with us _and_ stay safe, you need to pay attention to what we say." Lewis could do without the vaguely scolding tone of voice, but what she's saying is fair. New ghosts can overestimate their powers, and if he really was new to paranormal investigating, she'd be right.

 

    He nods, and she takes that as agreement. To his surprise, she continues, saying, "and when we're not working, just... stay out of our way, okay? Unless you have a question or something, or need to point out something dangerous, or... just try and stay out of the way." He's a little surprised she's saying this all to a _real actual ghost._ He would have assumed she'd be excited for the chance to talk to him, check him over, study how his powers work with the world over a longer period of time. He's torn between relieved he won't have to answer too many more awkward questions, and disappointed he can't talk to her more. He just nods again, not wanting to say anything for fear of messing something up again and drawing more attention to himself.

 

    Vivi sighs, and leans a little harder against the van, looking down at the ground. It's a moment before she meets his eyes again. When she does, there's a smile back on her face. "...good. I... I'm sorry, I don't mean to... I don't want to sound harsh, it's just- we're kind of busy right now. Guess you caught us at a bad time."

 

    "No, it's okay," he says, a little too quickly. "I understand. I'm a strange ghost, I... I'm just glad you're letting me stay at all."

 

    Her smile gets a little bigger, and a little more genuine. "So... speaking of a strange ghost... you still haven't told us too much about yourself."

 

    _Shit_. "I... suppose that's true." _Okay, say something more_ , "...I really don't remember all that much. I'd love to tell you more, but..." he trails off, hoping that's enough.

 

    Arthur speaks up at that, surprising Lewis, who'd kind of forgotten he was there. "But... th- you... there's gotta be... s- _something_ you remember?" he asks softly. Lewis looks over, and accidentally meets his eyes. There's an almost.... searching quality to them now.

 

    He hesitates, maybe a little too long, then slowly shakes his head. Then a piece of advice he received forever ago comes back to him – _adding a little truth to lies makes them stronger_. "Honestly, I just remember... falling, and then... waking up. Everything beyond that, it's... all just blank."

 

    There's suddenly a somber feeling in the air, and everyone is quiet for a moment, "...I'm sorry," says Arthur finally. His voice, and expression, are both so _sincere_.

 

    He doesn't know the half of it. How sorry he should  _really_ be.

 

    Lewis sighs and finally breaks the eye contact, his eyes coming to rest on the floor next to him. "It's all- I mean, I wish I knew... _more_... but, there's, I guess there's not too much I can do about it now."

 

    "If... if there's anything we can do t-to help-" Arthur starts, and something about his tone of voice, so _gentle_ , rubs Lewis entirely the wrong way.

 

    "Just _stop_ ," he snaps, shooting Arthur a glare out of the corner of his eye. He's fighting a pressure on his chest just to talk, because he _knows_ Arthur's bluffing right now. There's no way he _actually_ cares about a strange ghost, not when his own friend – and _how many times_ did Lewis buy this _exact_ lie before? That he was just so _ready_ , would _jump_ at the chance to help some strange spirit who he should by all rights be _terrified_ of? It was _too much_ , laying on the "sweet kind caring" act _way too thick,_ he was _always_ overacting, he _should have seen it before,_ should have _noticed_ something was off. But no, he was blinded to the obvious, he was too caught up in the thrill of having Arthur around and – 

 

    -and his thoughts stutter and stop once they start going to an uncomfortable place. He doesn't want to think about why he liked Arthur. He doesn't want to give him a chance at being sympathetic.

 

    When he comes out of his thoughts, Arthur's already gone back to sorting papers in the van. His expression is unreadable from where Lewis is, but if he had to guess, he's probably irritated at getting shut down.

 

    He misses the look Vivi shoots him, something between annoyance and suspicion.

 

* * *

 

    Vivi and Mystery go to tell the ranger they've taken care of the problem, and for the moment Lewis and Arthur are alone. Lewis floats cross-legged above the car, and uses the downtime to think about how things are going.

 

    All in all, better than could be reasonably expected. He's always been a pretty terrible liar, and he certainly _feels_ like he's always teetering on the edge of giving himself away, but nobody's called him out yet. And he hasn't slipped up with his spectral powers and betrayed that he's more than a lost soul, even though he's had a hard time keeping them under control before this. There isn't even a stray Deadbeat wandering around.

 

    He feels... _stronger_ now, too. For as long as he's been dead he's constantly felt like he's fighting to continue to exist. It's been _exhausting_ , but now... for some reason, he feels _stable_. He can relax. Maybe it's just being back with his friends, being able to ensure Vivi's safety and not spend so much energy worrying, that gives him this feeling of being anchored to the real world. Or maybe he's unwittingly leeching off the enormous power Mystery apparently possesses.

 

    And there's another thing – Mystery's power. _What is he_ has become a more pressing question than before, now that he's spectral and can constantly feel the unfamiliar energy radiating off him, can _see_ the red electricity crackling around him, forming a much bigger outline around him. It's not that he's _worried_ – he's sure Mystery won't hurt him as long as _he_ doesn't hurt the rest of the group. He's never been one to be hostile for no reason. Guarded, maybe, but not _dangerous_. But still... he'd like to know what he really is.

 

   But it’s not pressing.

 

   At least, not _nearly_ so much as the other thing – the thing he’s _supposed_ to be worried about. The thing that he’s _here for_ in the first place.

 

    _Arthur_.

 

   He’s a little disappointed in himself, honestly. At how easy it was for him to just... not think about it. How quickly he slipped back into being... casual, almost _friendly_ with him. The whole reason he was here was to watch him, figure out his motive and his plans and _stop him before he could do anything else._ Instead, he’s let him _wander off alone,_ trying to do who knows what! What if he hadn't _noticed?_ What if Arthur had just... had...

 

    ...well, who know what he was doing. Lewis is sure someone like him could find some horrible thing to do in the woods alone. Murder squirrels maybe. Put sticks through their little chests...

 

    Lewis shivers, feeling a little sick for a lot of reasons. He's suddenly _much_ more aware of the almost-inaudible noises of movement from inside the van. His murderer is six feet below him, _alone_.

 

    The longer he lets this go, the more chance there is that he'll claim another victim. He needs to get moving. He needs to find a way to _reveal Arthur_.

 

    He can either start going through his stuff for notes, which will be hard, or he can start asking questions and find the hole in his story. There's always one, right? Even someone as good at lying as Arthur is bound to slip up _somewhere_ when covering up something as big as _an actual murder of someone he was close to._

 

    And _why is Arthur so good at lying,_ he adds as a mental sidenote. Why else, if not that he's been lying to everyone constantly? Just another thing that should have _told_ them something was off. That he wasn't the person he claimed to be. But _no_ , they just _ignored_ _it_ – _he_ just ignored it! And _he's_ supposed to be the one looking out for danger! And it was right under his nose this _whole time_ , and he didn't notice until it killed him.

 

    He's been so _stupid_. _All_ of them have, letting him lead them on like this for so long. Now he knows better. Now he knows what he's looking for.

 

    Now he's _determined_ to bring this monster to justice.


	6. The Tell-Tale Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lewis does some detective work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the titular short story is free to read online if you haven't already, or if you have a while ago and forgot most of it (read it, it's spooky and probably you'll need context for this chap)

    In the rush of adrenaline, that hasn't quite fizzled out yet, over the events of earlier that day, Lewis had almost forgotten about all the questions he had for Mystery. Fortunately, they're both sleeping outside the van again, even though the threat in this area is technically neutralized, so the two have some time to chat one-on-one.

 

   Lewis settles into the cross-legged position in the air again, resting his back against the van. Mystery sits next to him, in the same strange at-attention pose he'd held last night.

 

    Silence hangs in the air, and to Lewis it feels charged with some invisible energy as he looks down at Mystery, already fiddling with the cuff of his sleeve. He's not sure why he's so nervous about asking questions – he's interrogated Mystery plenty of times before. Except then he was a friend, not a stranger, and he wasn't afraid of Mystery hurting him-

 

    ... _he's afraid of Mystery_. He somehow hadn't noticed before, but the jump of static on his skin and the drop in his nonexistent stomach when he gets too close – that goes beyond some weird reaction between their magic. Mystery scares him because he _could_ hurt him. Without knowing how he knows, he's _sure_ it would be the _easiest thing in the world_ for the small dog at his side to snuff him out like a candle flame between pinched fingers. A clue from his spectral form, something he'd never have been able to notice in life, but now it sticks out to him like a neon sign.

 

    But it's _Mystery_ , Lewis reminds himself forcefully. He may have been intimidating and enigmatic, but at the end of the day he was just a fuzzball with an inflated ego. He wouldn't _actually hurt someone_. ~~...right?~~

 

    So he pushes past his fear and starts with the simple questions. "So... why are you out here?"

 

    Mystery's head jerks towards him, and he gets the feeling he's sizing him up. "...this is where I sleep. So I can guard them," he says after a drawn-out pause.

 

    Lewis searches for a way to ask _why_ , without giving away that he knows this isn't their normal. "Why not... couldn't you protect everyone just as well inside?"

 

    His gaze turns into something close to a _glare_ , and Lewis is momentarily worried he's crossed some line with the questions. "I can't be in there," he answers shortly, and looks pointedly away and back towards the forest. Lewis follows suit, not wanting to needle him any further for the moment.

 

    He's content, for a while, to sit in contemplative silence next to Mystery. The sun seems to set quicker than usual that night, or maybe it's just that Lewis is lost in thought and doesn't notice it.

 

    "What... are you?" Lewis asks finally, looking down at him. Mystery returns the look silently, so he continues. "I know you're not just a _dog_ , but – I'm still new to this, what... what _are_ you, really?"

    Mystery fixes him with the intense, sincere gaze only someone like him can manage. "I am a dog," he says, voice calm but forceful. "I am a small dog and their pet and the rest is none of your business."

 

    Lewis is stunned into silence by that. Mystery has always disliked being called a pet, responding to most any descriptors other than that (the group mostly favors 'friend' these days). Yet here he is, _insisting_ on being called the same word he'd so steadfastly disagreed with before. For a fleeting moment, Lewis wonders if this was the same Mystery he'd known in life. The thought is dismissed in an instant, though – Mystery's behavior is so unique, it would be almost impossible for someone to impersonate him. This is the same dog, just... _changed_ , for some reason.

 

    "...why are you...?"

 

    Mystery huffs, looking back out at the forest. "It's better for everyone if the truth stays hidden. Just drop this. ...please."

 

    He so rarely said _please_ to anything, Lewis knows Mystery is being serious. "...if you say so."

 

    The dog rests his head on his paws, and closes his eyes, letting out a deep sigh. Lewis takes that as a sign that the conversation is over and he's going to sleep, and turns his gaze out to the road.

 

    His ambient magenta light casts a glow over the van, but it peters out a few yards from him, leaving everything past it in even deeper darkness. He'd turn it off so he could see better, but he's not really sure how. Or if he even _can_. Most ghosts can turn invisible, but he's never been able to manage that yet.

 

    The deep darkness outside the circle of light isn't scary, though. It feels isolating, but in a comforting way. It's easy to space out and, for a while, let himself relax. 

 

\---

 

    Lewis makes sure to pay more attention to Arthur.

 

    Maybe before, he was avoiding looking at him. Maybe he's been resisting himself, wanting to enjoy the good parts of being back with his friends and ignore the bad. Maybe he's been afraid of looking over and seeing a familiar half-smile, half-scowl etched on his face as he prepared to do some other terrible thing. Maybe that forest was the nudge he needed to remind him that here is a _danger_ , but not one that can hurt him anymore, and it's up to him to pay attention because the others aren't going to.

 

    _Clearly_ , based on the way Vivi still pulls him into frequent sideways hugs and drags him into conversation at any opportunity – or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, how Mystery seems to give him no mind at all, barely glancing at him even when he spoke – nobody else thought there was any reason to be concerned with Arthur.

 

    Still, he makes sure not to let himself be caught watching him. He doesn't want to arouse suspicion from the others, and he _definitely_ doesn't want to do anything to tip Arthur off to the fact that he doesn't trust him.

 

    It's not like it's hard to escape Arthur's notice. He's always been the type to get really absorbed in a project, and that much hasn't changed – Lewis still doesn't know what he's doing on his computer constantly, why there's a sudden influx of binders full of loose papers that he can't get a good look at, but it's taking almost all of his downtime attention. He's had many repeats of the breakfast scene in this short time.

 

    Sometimes, though – rarely, but it happens – he _feels_ more than sees Arthur watching him, with that same searching expression as he'd had when Lewis told them all how little he remembered. Always in quiet moments where everyone is off doing their own thing, and briefly the constant typing and rustling of papers will pause and he'll look up, and just... silently observe him. And then he'll be back to whatever it was he was writing by the time Lewis dares to look. It's... a little unnerving, if he's being honest. He's not sure he wants to know what Arthur's looking for.

 

    But he's not going to let that stop him. If there's one other thing that forest reminded him of, it's that he needs ~~_answers_~~ to figure out what Arthur's planning next so he can _stop him_.

 

   Watching Arthur so closely, Lewis notices that he seems... _edgy_. Easier to startle, more withdrawn, more tense and tired.

 

   He’s guilty, obviously. This was probably his first murder. No matter how much he prepared for it, it’s going to get to him at least a _little_. ~~It has to. He has to care about it _at least that much_ -~~ 

 

 

    It reminds him of the Tell-Tale Heart.

 

    Lewis had always _hated_ that story as a child. He'd read it on Vivi's suggestion, and had developed a sort of morbid fascination with it, simultaneously repulsed and drawn in by the narrator's tale. Having obsessed over it for so long, he could probably recite it by heart if he tried. He remembers the plot very well, at least. It's almost surprising how much it fits – one man murders another and buries the evidence, and pretends nothing happened, but he _knows_ and it's going to haunt him until he reveals the truth on his own.

 

    He flicks his hand and his anchor comes to rest in it, spinning slowly just above his palm. His eyes narrow in an approximation of a smile as he watches the heart-shaped golden locket beat ever-so-softly.

 

   A tell-tale heart indeed.

 

    Arthur always has been a ~~skilled~~   ~~practiced~~   _habitual_ liar, but though they'd had disagreements about it in the past, Lewis had always trusted that he didn't do it for fun, or to hurt people, or really for personal gain – it was more of a defensive measure than anything. It didn't mean he liked it, but he'd had to accept that it was going to be a hard habit for Arthur to break, and it was never going to be more than a minor irritation to him anyway. 

 

    Or, you know, so he'd thought. He should have known that was a warning sign that he couldn't be trusted. _Nobody_ who defaulted to lying like that could. He's going to be kicking himself for making that exception for the rest of his life. 

 

    Death. Undeath. Whatever you want to call it. Point is, he already knows exactly how hard it's going to be to find a hole in Arthur's story. It's going to be a tightly, _expertly_ woven web. But maybe he doesn't need to bother with picking at it. 

 

    Lewis has always had a flair for the dramatic, and maybe it's a little morbid, but he can't help but take some more inspiration from the story. Needle Arthur into revealing the truth himself; it's the perfect plan. And nobody can point fingers at him and say he's _hurting_ him, not when all he's doing is asking questions. _Leading_ questions, maybe, but hey, he's just an innocent, curious new ghost! He doesn't have any context for the things he's asking! 

 

    He bides his time for most of the day, waiting for a quiet moment. When he finally ~~works up the courage~~  decides it's a good time to hunt down Arthur, he finds him checking the tires on the van. A small twitch of the head is the only sign he's noted Lewis's presence. 

 

    "So," he begins, watching Arthur carefully, "what happened to the other... the other member of your group?"

 

    Arthur looks up at that, and meets his eyes for a moment, tilting his head in obvious confusion. "...uh?"

 

    ...and it's then that Lewis realizes _he shouldn't know about that_. He has _no reason_ to know Lewis exists; he _just got here_. "I, uh," he scrambles for a moment, "I saw him on... on the flier. Or, it mentioned him... someone and he's not... here. So... I was just wondering... what happened."

 

    Arthur _winces_ at that. "...oh. Y- yeah." He sighs and goes back to fiddling with the small measuring device, continuing, "that's... it's not really... important." By the time he finishes the sentence, his voice is strained. 

 

    It's not _important_. _He's_ not important. Lewis knows he's covering, that this is him sitting in the parlor chatting with the police, pointedly ignoring the body. But  _still_ , he can't help but be a little insulted by how _casually_ he's treating this, like he's just... _left on some business_ or something. 

 

    "Well, tell me, then," he says, leaning further over to try and catch Arthur's eye again. "Where'd he go? Is he coming back?" 

 

    "I don't _know_ , okay?" Arthur snaps, whirling to face him. "He's _gone_ and we don'- d-don't know _where_ , and it's- is- is'just- I'm _w-working on it_ , okay?" 

 

    Lewis's instinct is still to match his anger, but he can't quite bring himself to shout back. Maybe it's the way Arthur's voice is breaking, or his expression that tries to be angry but falls closer to distraught. 

 

    "I'm sorry," is what he ends up saying without really thinking. 

 

    Arthur's shoulders relax with a huffed sigh, and he looks away again. "'s'fine," he mumbles. "You di- didn't know." 

 

    He's _avoiding talking about him_ , Lewis is sure of it now. Every veiled dodge he makes only cements that in his mind. Maybe it's guilt, or maybe it's... something else. Maybe the others know something, and he doesn’t want him asking them. 

 

    Well, it's not like he has to listen to Arthur. Quite the opposite, in fact – the more he can do to get in his way, the better. 

 

   “Maybe I should ask Vivi,” he suggests, testing the waters. 

 

    "Don't bother her with it," Arthur says, sounding more urgent than his words seem to deserve. "It's- s-seriously, just... j-j-just drop it, okay?"

 

    That settles it. At the first opportunity he can get, he's asking Vivi about himself.


	7. Unintended Side Effects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lewis makes good on a threat. Whatever he was expecting Vivi to have to say, it... wasn't this.

 

    When Vivi returns from her talk with the ranger, Arthur's still checking up the van, which Lewis is overwhelmingly grateful for – he'll be too busy with that to stop him from talking to Vivi. 

 

Still, he should do this fast if he doesn’t want to get noticed. It’s easy to stop into the van next to her while she’s cleaning things up from the exorcism. 

 

    “Hey, Vivi, can I talk to you for a minute?” 

 

    Vivi looks up, still leaning with one hand on the shelf. “Sure, what’s up?” 

 

    Lewis takes a moment to lean back into a more comfortable position, before starting in on why he’s here. “So, what... what happened to Lewis?” Saying his name like it’s a stranger’s feels so _wrong_ to him, but he’s going to have to get used to it sooner or later anyway. 

 

    Whatever reaction he was expecting, it isn't just Vivi tilting her head and frowning at him. “Uh, I’m... sorry, I don’t think I know who that is?” 

 

    The half-question catches Lewis completely off-guard. “The... other member of your team?” He remembers what he said to Arthur, and adds, “from the fliers?” Maybe she just misheard him. 

 

    Vivi blinks, not looking any less confused. “We don’t... have another team member. We, uh, we never have?” 

 

    Or maybe she doesn’t want to talk about him, either. Maybe it’s a source of grief she’s avoiding. But to flat-out _deny he exists_? “No, I saw them- the fliers. There were four of you. I just want to know-” 

 

    Now she looks almost  _concerned_ – like she doesn’t understand what or why he’s asking. Her tone is a little more defensive this time. “No, dude- _listen_ , I’m _telling you_. It’s _always_ just been the three of us. I don’t know who the fuck Lewis is, but I know we’re definitely not _ghost hunting buddies_.” 

 

    Something is wrong here. Something is _very wrong_ here. Lewis can’t help but keep trying, not really thinking about _why_ anymore, just trying for a reaction that makes _sense_. “But you _put him on there_. Tall, purple hair-” describing himself like a stranger is even more surreal, and he’s a little tripped up by it. 

 

    “Stop,” Vivi says, trying to cut him off. 

 

    “ _Pepper_ , his last name was-” he feigns remembering the detail. 

 

    “ _Stop it_ ,” she repeats, louder and with more force behind it. 

 

    “He was part of your-” 

 

    “ _Stop_!” She _shouts_ it this time, and that's enough to stop him. “I _don’t_ -" 

 

    And then there’s a flash of _light_ that makes him flinch back, and whatever she was going to say is cut off into a strangled yelp as she brings a hand to her head. 

 

    “Vivi?” he tries cautiously, reaching out to her and leaning over – and stops in shock. There’s a sparking light from her eyes, tinted pink by her glasses. It’s like nothing he’s ever seen before, but mostly it looks painful. She grabs the edge of the shelf next to her, leaning on it for support, making a sustained hiss of pain. Eventually the light stops arcing off and her eyes close, and she slumps against the shelf, seemingly unconscious. 

 

    He tries to shake her shoulder, forgetting he's incorporeal, and jumps a little when his hand slips through her shoulder. 

 

    Then a third voice joins them as the side door of the van swings open. “Vivi?” calls Arthur, voice strained with worry. 

 

    Lewis looks up, bringing his hands away from her and up in a show of peace. He doesn't want to look like he did this on purpose. Arthur doesn’t look _angry_ , but... it’s just better not to risk it. 

 

    Arthur takes a moment to look the scene over, and then he just sighs. “I told you not to bother her about it,” he says, but there’s no force behind it. 

 

    “I didn't...” Lewis asks, too frozen by shock to think of a way to stop Arthur from getting closer to them both. He just watches as he pulls Vivi away from the bookshelf and into a more comfortable position in his lap. "Was that because of...?"

 

    "Yeah. She c-can't remember him," Arthur says, looking everywhere but Lewis. "And every time she – or _anyone_ tries to make her r-r-remember, sh-she... well, that happens."

 

    " _Why_?" Lewis manages to ask, a thousand questions swirling in his mind. Vivi can't _remember_ him, she doesn't even know he _exists_ , _what the hell happened?_

 

    "We're... not really sure. M-m-Mystery says it's-s some, some kinda magic, like a sp-sp- a spell blocking her memory, but we're not... uh, we d- we dunno for s-sure." Arthur looks down, voice shaky. "It's happened ever s-s-since... since he disappeared, sh-she just... _forgot_ him."

 

    He may sound genuinely upset about it, but Lewis _knows_ , can _feel_ it's an act. He must be secretly relieved that she doesn't remember, so that he doesn't have to explain away his disappearance to her. And that only feeds the fire of anger inside him, the knowledge that Vivi's memory is damaged and patchy and he's _glad_ for it. He – oh god, he probably did this _himself_ , didn't he? Of _course_ he did, why _not_ wipe away all evidence of his crime. 

 

    "Arthur?" calls a new voice from outside the van – Mystery. "Is everything okay?" 

 

    The second he hears his name, Arthur's head snaps back, and Lewis can see him go tense. The hand on Vivi's shoulder curls tighter, and his own shoulders hunch a little in a defensive pose. 

 

    There's a beat before he responds. "W-w-we're... f-fine, yeah! It was just... Jolokia just... the memory thing, it's fine." 

 

    "You're sure she's-" 

 

    "Mm-hmm," Arthur hums, the affirmation sounding probably more strangled than he meant it to. 

 

    Strange – but he only needs to consider it for a moment, before he figures out why Arthur's suddenly so guarded. Mystery wouldn't have wanted him to erase Vivi's memories, so he's trying to cover that up, distract him from it. Because if Mystery figures out that he's been tampering with her memories... he'd start asking questions about _why_  he felt the need to do that, and then he'd be in _real_ trouble. Arthur's usually better at covering things up, but the stakes here would make anyone nervous, Lewis supposes. 

 

    If he was willing to go this far to cover up what he did... how much _farther_  did he go? 

 

    Lewis doesn't have much more time to reflect on that question, because Mystery starts speaking again. "We should get moving. Who knows how long it'll be before she wakes up, and she... won't be happy if we just sit around waiting for her." _Embarrassed_ , Lewis's mind fills in, _she'll be embarrassed that we had to wait_. His heart hurts a little more at that – why should she be embarrassed? It isn't her fault Arthur had to go and mess with her mind. 

 

    "...right," Arthur says after a pause. "I... uh, I'll open the tr- the trunk for you." He flips the handle up, letting the door swing freely, and quickly clambers into the driver's seat before Mystery can actually get in. Mystery noses the door open, hops in, and fights with it for a while to shut it again. 

 

    The car jolts a little when he starts it, and then it runs smoothly. 

 

* * *

 

   "Damnit, _again_?" is the first thing Vivi says when she wakes up. She takes off her headband and runs a hand through her hair, sighing. 

 

    Lewis watches her for a moment. "I'm sorry," he says finally, more than a little nervous. _Shit_ , he hopes she's not mad about this. He doesn't wanna ruin their relationship, not _now_. 

 

    Vivi just squints at him, still with a hand tangled in her hair. "Oh. It was you this time?" 

 

    "I- what?" That's a weird thing to say for... a lot of reasons. Mostly because it _just happened_. 

 

    Vivi sighs again, looking down and away from him, focusing her attention on Mystery. "Yeah, I guess I should... uh. I don't... really know why that happens, but... _shit_ , how do I say this. I don't remember... anything that just happened? It- this happens every time it... uh, whatever causes it. I'll just be... doing something, or Arthur will say something, and... that. And then I forget the last couple minutes." 

 

    Lewis gets a little hung up on the phrase _Arthur will say something_. He _did this_  in the first place, caused this to happen, and he can't even be bothered to avoid triggering it? He just... lets her hurt? 

 

    He must have been silent for too long, because Vivi adds, "it's not like I _always_... uh, pass out. Sometimes I just get a headache. That was just a bad one for some reason." She keeps her eyes focused on Mystery, running a hand back and forth under his collar. 

 

    That's not _better_. Did he _know_ the side effects of this when he did it? When he tampered with her memory like this? Does he just not _care_? It's cruel on _so many levels_. Especially because Arthur  _knows_ , and Lewis knows he knows, that Vivi already has a bad memory, and it's a huge sore spot for her. For him to make that _worse_ , to- honestly, probably taking _advantage_ of that knowledge to... write him out of her life.

 

    "Hey," Vivi says, and he looks up. "It's, uh, I'm not mad or anything. You didn't know. It's not exactly something you'd... think to be worried about." 

  
    "I... still, I'm sorry." 

 

    There's a pause, and then Vivi turns to the front of the car and yells, "hey, wanna turn some music on?" Arthur does without comment. 

 

    Lewis understands, suddenly, why the other two like having music on. It fills the silence, removing the need to fill it with words. The conversation is over without really ending, and he can't say he's upset about that. 


End file.
